I continue to be active in the activities of the Moonstone Arts Center, https://moonstoneartscenter.org/. They continue to hold their poetry readings and other events over Zoom, and they continue to publish poetry chapbooks and anthologies centered around important topics, such as the January 6 rampage on the Capitol, the former regime (whose leader doesn’t need mentioning), the Black Lives Matter movement, the #MeToo movement, the war in Iraq, and the COVID pandemic; they also publish poetry anthologies around famous poets, like Toni Morrison, Walt Whitman, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Amiri Baraka. They also continue their Poetry Ink celebrations, with the publication of the anthology and readings by poets in the anthology (like me), as well as the New Voices series honoring new and young poets.

On February 20, there will be a virtual poetry reading of New Voices, featuring the poets Wes Matthews, Colby Bellman, and Rose-Marie Athiley. (https://moonstoneartscenter.org/event/virtual-poetry-reading-for-new-voices-emerging-poets-rose-marie-athiley-colby-bellman-wes-mathews-with-larry-robin/) On February 21, there will be “Philly Jawns: For women Revisited,” a tribute anthology to Nina Simone. (https://moonstoneartscenter.org/event/virtual-poetry-reading-philly-jawns-for-women-revisited-poetry-anthology-tribute-to-nina-simone/) On February 24, there will be an online reading, featuring the poets Ahmad Amallah and Grant Clauser, and and Larry Robin, founder of Moonstone and proprietor of the old Robin’s Books chain in Philadelphia, which was a great outlet for non-commercial books. ( https://moonstoneartscenter.org/event/virtual-poetry-reading-ahmad-almallah-grant-clauser-with-larry-robin/)

Please check these events out, and support Moonstone and other local poetry programs. The arts, like poetry, are not a luxury, they’re for all of us.